NHS Feedback form asks 'what is your sex?' Guess what the three options are..

[CrumpetsReconsidered]

I attended a clinic at my local hospital yesterday. Wonderful staff and service (thank you NHS). I wanted to leave feedback so picked up the leaflet. Imagine my surprise to see there are three options for 'sex': Male, Female and Transgender. Despite being a regular lurked on these threads I am still surprised and shocked. I was talking to family earlier in the week about whether my young relative understands it is not possible to change one's sex and the distinctions between sex and gender so this has thrown me. Has someone noticed this on NHS Feedback forms before?

Seems better than if it asked for gender and asked what you identified as. Third spaces/options are an improvement on the erasure of sex aren’t they?

I actually don't mind this so much even though it isn't correct technically. It allows people to acknowledge their transgender identity and if it asks for a bit more detail (eg. MTF or FTM) you can work out their sex.

Obviously in some situations (arguably in this case) you need to know sex specifically. My issues are with conflating gender and sex, and the resulting effects on women's spaces, services and opportunities.

That sounds good! TRAs won't be happy because it's actually a sensible thing.

No I don't think so Bardy. If we want to find out how the service is meeting the needs of people and analyse it by how they gender identify, fine. Design the form properly to do that. I think this form will confuse people and also lead people to think that there are three sex categories. My baby is a boy in terms of his sex. How would I or health staff identify him as transgender when he was born? I was attending a clinic that treats a female condition because of my sex.

Better than “gender” as the only choice which I hate. Wouldn’t mind so much if they had sex and gender - and i could just ignore gender.

I don’t mind that. I would mind a trans women ticking the women’s box or trans man ticking the man box as that would be more of an issue with false data don’t you think?

I like that, it’s using the term Sex for a start.

Also at least the NHS will know how many of the people are Trans.

Is transgender a sex category now then? I am genuinely confused. How can I hope to explain biology to my children when I can't get these basics straight in my head?

Surely it should have male/female/intersex/hermaphrodite for sex option s and free text for gender.

At my latest NHS job appointment there were about 20 options on the equality and diversity form including the rather ambiguous "undefined lesbian"

crumpet

I agree with you, its not a sex

As others have said i think there shoukd be a sex question and a separate 'gender' question

Great to have retained sex as a category. But GRC skews that. But then it could ask about gender expression in such a way that sex based healthcare can be given with sensitive use of language for those who want that.

Transgender isn't a sex category (though I wouldn't mind if it was made a legal sex category) but if you only give the choice of sex (male/female), transgender people will choose the category that best matches their gender which is more confusing as far as statistics are concerned.

It would be a bit different if the health professional is the one inputting observed sex, but what about passing transpeople? And if a person presents as female though you believe them to be male, would you be happy to record 'male' with the possible repercussions if the patient were to find out?

It seems quite skilful

No I think this is reasonably sensible step, although I agree that perhaps sex and gender would be better. I would happy with a third option such as this to be created legally. I know it feels a bit ridiculous, but then many things about this whole issue feel a bit ridiculous. Perhaps this would be an acceptable compromise for both sides.

Agree with charlie and bodger re a legal third option

Shit

badger... sorry

Yes 'transgender' isn't a sex, but it means that transwomen put 'transgender' on the form rather than 'woman' which is better for statistics etc.

This seems entirely reasonable, sensible and also useful to the people gathering the data.

What could you possibly find offensive about it, apart from the legal as opposed to biological use of "sex" for the third category?

A simple ‘don’t know’ would have been more accurate.

A simple ‘don’t know’ would have been more accurate.

Presumably a trans person knows very well that they are trans, and that information is also useful to the NHS.

"don't know" would be a lie.

A step in the right direction

I have no problem with that.

I think its a positive step.
It should then have a follow up question to establish both the sex (which is medically unchanging) and the gender identity.

It should then have a follow up question to establish both the sex (which is medically unchanging) and the gender identity.

This needs to be supported by the charities and organisation which represent people who identify as transgender.

Respecting gender identity and acknowledging sex are not incompatible and recognsing and accepting the difference is vital within health provision.

I attended an NHS sexual health clinic a couple of days ago. I had to fill in two forms, both of which asked my 'gender' and the options were 'male', 'female' or 'indeterminate'.

This is in a sexual health clinic, FFS!